Alcohol: How to Give It Up and Be Glad You Did [Paperback]

Philip Tate PhD (Author), Albert Ellis (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1996 | ISBN-10: 1884365108 | ISBN-13: 978-1884365102 | Edition: 2nd

This practical, comprehensive, and easy to use book helps alcohol abusers understand their behavior, but provides practical steps that anyone can use to solve an alcohol problem. Written by a cognitive-behavioral psychologist, this book includes chapters on overcoming low self-esteem, depression, stress, attending self-help groups, and living a better life after quitting. Each chapter contains specific self-help techniques. Recommended by SMART Recovery.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Insightful and practical...has the potential to become a classic on the subject of substance abuse and treatment."  —SMART Recovery News & Views

About the Author

Philip Tate, PhD, is a licensed cognitive-behavioral therapist employed by the Veterans Administration, who for the past two decades has specialized in the treatment of alcohol abuse. He is a past vice-president of SMART Recovery and a former board member of Rational Recovery.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: See Sharp Press; 2nd edition (January 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1884365108
• ISBN-13: 978-1884365102
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #349,257 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Practical Alternative to the 12-Step Approach, November 20, 2001

By 

"recoveryfree" (New Jersey, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alcohol: How to Give It Up and Be Glad You Did (Paperback)

Dr. Tate has written a thoughtful, practical guide for overcoming self-defeating addictive behavior. The book is an easy to read, self-help guide, which focuses on the application of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy for quitting alcohol and drugs now and for good. Dr. Tate explains and shows how to take control of your behavior and emotions--without having to attend meetings for the rest of your life. By recognizing and eliminating the irrational beliefs behind addictive behavior, alcohol/drug-free living becomes a natural way of daily life, not a meeting after meeting challenge to try and remain sober, one-day-at-a-time. Alcohol: How To Give It Up and be Glad You Did, is an exceptional book, which answers many of the questions traditional 12-step programs do not. Required reading for professionals and lay-persons in need of alternatives to largely innefective policies of America's Addiction Treatment Industry.

70 of 80 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Reads like a lesson in psychology, not that helpful in my opinion., September 26, 2005

By 

J. Lundberg - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Alcohol: How to Give It Up and Be Glad You Did (Paperback)

This book focuses way too much on disputing irrational self-defeating thoughts such as putting yourself down for not being able to stop drinking. The books answers your self-defeating thinking with such retorts as "prove it" over and over again. This book is also very ambiguous with confusing statements like this one all throughout the book.

QUOTE FROM BOOK...
" If you only believe you don't want to be deprived of alcohol, would you then believe that life without it is awful? Usually not. If you believe, however, that you must not be deprived, you can easily think that abstinence is awful. If you only don't want discomfort, would you then believe that you can't stand it? Probably not. You may, however, think that you can't stand it when you believe that you must not have discomfort."

huh......?????? what?????

That's how this whole book is written. Also, there's too much emphasis put on how great a feeling alcohol is. That's dangerous thinking for someone looking to get away from it. For someone who has been drinking for many years, the feeling is not that great anymore. This book put ideas in my head that really weren't there before. It focuses way too much on assuming you put yourself down constantly for not being able to quit drinking. I never really thought like that. There are better books out there. This one just didn't work for me.

If you want to read some very helpful books on alcohol/addiction you should read "Addiction Solution" by David Kipper and "Science of Addiction" by Carlton Erickson. Learning what alcohol can do to your GABA receptors and other neurotransmitters is vital information that can explain how issues such as anxiety/depression can be worsened by alcohol use. Information about GABA receptors got me to give up alcohol for good. Another excellent book that will show you the dangers of dehydrating your body is "Water: For Health, Healing, For Life" by F. Batmanqhelidj. Dehydration from alcohol can ruin everything concerning your health.

37 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, September 24, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Alcohol: How to Give It Up and Be Glad You Did (Paperback)

Very enlightening for people stating, "I don't really want to quit, I've tried to quit and I can't, or I don't really think I have a problem."

Dr. Tate explains how to include rational thinking techniques (REBT) to affect your behaviors. Rather than just trying to solely change your behaviors (drinking), which almost always fails, you must first change your thinking (irrational beliefs). Once understood, the relationship between your thinking, emotions, and behaviors will not only help you battle addictions, but also every day challenges.

Each time I sit down to read the book, I end up reading it cover to cover.